Madrid, Milan, Bayern advance in Champions League
LONDON, England (AP) — Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayern Munich clinched their places in the next round of the Champions League yesterday.
The trio, European champions a total 20 times between them, advanced alongside CSKA Moscow after their final group matches.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to help record nine-time European champion Madrid win 3-1 at Marseille and take Group C from Milan, who needed a penalty by Ronaldinho to equalise for a 1-1 draw at FC Zurich.
Bayern advanced behind already-qualified Bordeaux in Group A with a 4-1 win at Juventus that eliminated the Italian side, while CSKA Moscow won 2-1 at Besiktas.
Michael Owen scored a hat trick to give Manchester United a 3-1 win at Wolfsburg to take first place in Group B from CSKA and knock out their opponent. But CSKA’s place may be in doubt after UEFA said two of the Russian team’s players failed doping tests after a 3-3 draw against Manchester United last month.
UEFA will announce the result of its investigation on December 17, the day before the draw for the next stage.
Ronaldo put Madrid ahead in the fifth minute with a 30-metre free-kick before Marseille playmaker Lucho Gonzalez levelled from close range in the 11th.
Madrid defender Raul Albiol scored in the 60th and Ronaldo rounded off the scoring 10 minutes before the end following a mistake by Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
Madrid finished with 13 points, four more than Milan, who trailed until the 64th minute in Switzerland.
Juventus looked to be on course for the next round when David Trezeguet put the Italian side ahead in the 19th, but Bayern got back in the match with a 30th-minute penalty by Joerg Butt — the goalkeeper’s third in the Champions League.
Ivica Olic put Bayern ahead six minutes after halftime. Mario Gomez and substitute Anatoliy Tymoshchuk scored in the last seven minutes.
Bordeaux, who won 1-0 at Maccabi Haifa, won Group A with 16 points. Bayern were next with 10 points, while Juventus will play in the Europa League after finishing third with eight.
Owen’s hat trick for United in Group B is likely to reignite the debate in British newspapers over whether England coach Fabio Capello should take the veteran striker to next year’s World Cup.
Group D had already been settled before yesterday.
First-place Chelsea conceded an 87th-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with APOEL Nicosia, losing midfielder Michael Essien in the process to what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
FC Porto won 3-0 at Atletico Madrid, who ended even with APOEL on three points, but advanced courtesy of the away goal scored against the Cypriot side.
The final four places will be decided today. Barcelona, Inter Milan, Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kiev can all advance from Group F, Unirea Urziceni and Stuttgart are vying to advance from Group G alongside Sevilla, and Olympiakos and Standard Liege are fighting for second place in Group H behind Arsenal.
Fiorentina and Lyon have already secured the top two Group E spots, with the final positions to be decided today when Fiorentina go to Europa League qualifier Liverpool and Lyon are at last-place Debrecen.